[tf10charged]

I respect your courage and time to actually buy the 700 and try to mod it even when your friends in the other forum tried so hard to push it away like some bastxrd child that should never be mentioned at all.

I never said its bass was loose, nor did I say it was bloated. I said it was flabby. Flab == thickness == even order distortion. The entire headphone is very tightly controlled, including the bass, but the definition and clarity on the HD700's bass pales in comparison to the HD800 and my modded Sansui SS-100.

The 6kHz ridge and resounding peak at 11kHz makes them sound metallic and artificial with cymbals and snare drums. Guitars aren't quite as unpleasant but the wrong recording can make me physically ill with the HD700.

The dip centered at 2kHz is what I mean when I say "recessed midrange". Maybe "recessed upper midrange" would have been less misleading.

I've used them with an LH Labs Geek Out 450, Gustard H10, Objective2, and my OpenPandora. Their tonal signature persists with all of these with very little variance. Somehow, I doubt that all four of these sources are the problem in this pairing, especially when other, harder to drive headphones sound just fine with all of them.

 

[DavidA]

  The thing about top tier headphones or top tier anything for that matter is that they normally have more in common than differences…the HD700s are no different…so while there may differences between makes… the manufactures are striving to find a happy medium while adhering to their own philosophies as to what makes a the best phone possible within a reasonable price point.
Sometimes by listening to customer/user feedback they may strive to change their philosophies… take the AKG K712s and HD700s for example…the K712s IMHO sound more like the HD600/650 while the 700s have taken on a few attributes of the K700 series.
See my review here.
http://www.head-fi.org/products/akg-k712-pro/reviews/11476
 
So when I see a headphone being dramatically criticized, I really have to take those criticisms with a grain of salt, I’m sure many of us, myself included have at one point after auditioning a number of headphones started to feel that at one point they all almost started to sound all the same, obviously there are differences but we come to question is the phone radically different/better or worst from the previous.
The HD700s may well have a peak, which I have personally never experienced, but more sensitive ears may… but the over all tonal character and presentation of the HD700s is up there with the best available…some like myself prefer them over the HD800…others have opted their Audeze, Beyerdynamic, Hifiman also for the 700s..not all but enough to IMHO to verify my positive reception of these Sennheisers.
So when confronted with an overall negative portrayal of the HD700s I am at a total loss as to what the wearer was actually hearing or what they are being compared to when the goal is to reproduce a truthful reproduction of the original recording which in my experience the HD700s do extremely well.

+1
Very well said

 

[tf10charged]

There is a new thread asking about 700 and the thrashing already begins.

The new comparison is hd700 <558.

I guess continue the trend hd700 should be a free gift to all sennheiser customer upon purchase of any senn product

The thing about top tier headphones or top tier anything for that matter is that they normally have more in common than differences…the HD700s are no different…so while there may differences between makes… the manufactures are striving to find a happy medium while adhering to their own philosophies as to what makes a the best phone possible within a reasonable price point.
Sometimes by listening to customer/user feedback they may strive to change their philosophies… take the AKG K712s and HD700s for example…the K712s IMHO sound more like the HD600/650 while the 700s have taken on a few attributes of the K700 series.
See my review here.
http://www.head-fi.org/products/akg-k712-pro/reviews/11476

So when I see a headphone being dramatically criticized, I really have to take those criticisms with a grain of salt, I’m sure many of us, myself included have at one point after auditioning a number of headphones started to feel that at one point they all almost started to sound all the same, obviously there are differences but we come to question is the phone radically different/better or worst from the previous.
The HD700s may well have a peak, which I have personally never experienced, but more sensitive ears may… but the over all tonal character and presentation of the HD700s is up there with the best available…some like myself prefer them over the HD800…others have opted their Audeze, Beyerdynamic, Hifiman also for the 700s..not all but enough to IMHO to verify my positive reception of these Sennheisers.
So when confronted with an overall negative portrayal of the HD700s I am at a total loss as to what the wearer was actually hearing or what they are being compared to when the goal is to reproduce a truthful reproduction of the original recording which in my experience the HD700s do extremely well.

 

[DavidA]

Quite a few reviews i read put 700 between 650 and 800 (obviously) but more to 650.

I would say closer to HD-800 in its presentation for what I listen to.  Since I used the Ember with the HD-700 and BH Crack for HD-800/650 I would say that I'm getting the most out of each headphone and enjoy them for their differences.  I keep most of the headphones that I have acquired for their differences and not to say that one is better than the other.  There is no point in saying that one is better than the other since the only thing that matters is what sounds good to you, if you don't like the presentation of a particular headphone and say why it is not my place to say otherwise.

 

[tf10charged]

In the case of 700. Anyone can thrash it and live to see another day because the damage was done in 2012.

Nobody would dare to do that to 650 or 800 because those reviewer were not exist when the 650 800 are out. 650 and 800 managed to sell and people believe their ears before any internet comment can ruin them.

While for 700. A few reviewers got it earlier than everyone else. and their comments sticks there forever. there is no forgiving. The moment any layman heard any high treblewith 700, it means 700's fault.

while for 800. people are silly/forgiving enough to mod a $1500 phone. But ffor700 it is a 'listen to it 3 minutes and i can put it into dustbin kind".

No wonder beats sells. The first impression wins

Germans have a lot to learn when it comes to marketing.

Summary: internet review killed 700.

I would say closer to HD-800 in its presentation for what I listen to.  Since I used the Ember with the HD-700 and BH Crack for HD-800/650 I would say that I'm getting the most out of each headphone and enjoy them for their differences.  I keep most of the headphones that I have acquired for their differences and not to say that one is better than the other.  There is no point in saying that one is better than the other since the only thing that matters is what sounds good to you, if you don't like the presentation of a particular headphone and say why it is not my place to say otherwise.

 

[ppdv]

In the case of 700. Anyone can thrash it and live to see another day because the damage was done in 2012.

Nobody would dare to do that to 650 or 800 because those reviewer were not exist when the 650 800 are out. 650 and 800 managed to sell and people believe their ears before any internet comment can ruin them.

While for 700. A few reviewers got it earlier than everyone else. and their comments sticks there forever. there is no forgiving. The moment any layman heard any high treblewith 700, it means 700's fault.

while for 800. people are silly/forgiving enough to mod a $1500 phone. But ffor700 it is a 'listen to it 3 minutes and i can put it into dustbin kind".

No wonder beats sells. The first impression wins

Germans have a lot to learn when it comes to marketing.

Summary: internet review killed 700.

Going by a lot of posts and negative bashing around the 700, i am kinda nervous if i made a wrong choice going for the HD 700...Since these are going to be my first high-end headphones..
 
aah, never mind.. i will probably try them for a few hours and still if i dont like i might sell it off and get the HD650 which is what i originally planned to buy.

 

[PETEREK]

 
Going by a lot of posts and negative bashing around the 700, i am kinda nervous if i made a wrong choice going for the HD 700...Since these are going to be my first high-end headphones..
 
aah, never mind.. i will probably try them for a few hours and still if i dont like i might sell it off and get the HD650 which is what i originally planned to buy.

Please don't go in expecting to hate them, that will ruin your whole experience. They are great headphones.

 

[ppdv]

  Please don't go in expecting to hate them, that will ruin your whole experience. They are great headphones.

Agree. I simply do not believe in hating a product before i actually use it very thoroughly.. I do have a good hope that they would serve my listening purpose in a good way for a long time to come ..

 

[tf10charged]

Trust your ears.

Or at least. Trust sennheiser.

Going by a lot of posts and negative bashing around the 700, i am kinda nervous if i made a wrong choice going for the HD 700...Since these are going to be my first high-end headphones..

aah, never mind.. i will probably try them for a few hours and still if i dont like i might sell it off and get the HD650 which is what i originally planned to buy.

 

[ppdv]

Trust your ears.

Or at least. Trust sennheiser.

I do trust Senns

, which is why i went ahead with the purchase even though i have read quite a few reviews here on Headfi.
 
Reviews apart, if i really dont like the sound signature to my ears after a long listen ( say a few weeks or probably couple of months)... i will barge in to a local store which i had been to and do a comparative listen to the HD650 in detail and then take a call. this will help me take a decision based on my ears rather than being biased by reviews....

 

[Rob80b]

.................
No wonder beats sells. The first impression wins

Germans have a lot to learn when it comes to marketing.
...........

And so they have…to make a dollar they have listened to the general public and do offer a number of phones to appease current tastes which swing away from their normal philosophy, which is… neutrality.
Believe they start to mention it at about the 13 min mark on the factory tour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5es8zggYM7A

 

[Rob80b]

  If you like both the 800 and 650 I'm sure you would love these just the same. They're like a relaxed HD800 with some of the warmth of the HD650 with a tad more bass. 

Also my "general impressions" having owned the HD800…and also the HD580/600s but not the 650s.
 

Look, I absolutely adore the 650's, and the 800's. I like both more than most any headphones I've heard or owned, including the LCD-3 fazors. But there is no chance in hell that you are going to convince me that the presentation of stock 700's is on par with either of those headphones. (This sounds much worse than I want it to, bear with me...)

 

 
And again we all hear differently...obviously...but how is it that some of us do find the HD700s fit smack in the middle of the HD600 series and the HD800s and others find them so radically different.
My own preferences have always veered toward neutrality and IMHO as I mentioned earlier the HD700s doing very well…and how do I come to that conclusion? Well forty plus years in this hobby but mostly a neutral sound system will be chameleon like in nature, each recording should sound completely different, if there is plentiful base on one recording but missing on the next, treble is smooth and silky on another but then harsh on a different recording…midrange is forward and then recessed…it’s obviously not the phones otherwise one would find all recordings will sound harsh and lack base..etc..a neutral sound system will just tell it like it is.
So how is that some are so diametrically opposed to the HD700s but do find the 600/650 and 800s without fault….the mystery continues…

 

[Charliemotta]

Typically people that have negative comments about the 700's are those who don't own them.  Just look at their profile.   Trollers  wanting to start some $hit. 

 

[tf10charged]

I believed many have learned one thing or two from the success of beats

And so they have…to make a dollar they have listened to the general public and do offer a number of phones to appease current tastes which swing away from their normal philosophy, which is… neutrality.
Believe they start to mention it at about the 13 min mark on the factory tour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5es8zggYM7A

 

[DavidA]

 
I do trust Senns

, which is why i went ahead with the purchase even though i have read quite a few reviews here on Headfi.
 
Reviews apart, if i really dont like the sound signature to my ears after a long listen ( say a few weeks or probably couple of months)... i will barge in to a local store which i had been to and do a comparative listen to the HD650 in detail and then take a call. this will help me take a decision based on my ears rather than being biased by reviews....

Good way to compare, and evaluate, while at the store try to use equipment similar to what you have at home, or better yet take your dac/amp with you.  One thing I have found is that the HD-700 does better on the Ember due to its lower impedance while the HD-650 does much better on my BH Crack.  I love both for the different sound signatures so don't see me selling either one.